Telecommunications service providers desire to arrange their network so that the call processing logic applied to each call can be customized, i.e., each call given individualized treatment. This is advantageous from the customer (caller) point of view, since the customer will obtain better service. It is also advantageous from the network provider point of view, since it enables segment specific strategies, i.e., allows marketing tailored to individual customer groups.
Today's interexchange networks are not arranged to routinely determine customer identification and provide customized treatment at the time of call origination. Rather, existing networks have been optimized for "simple" calls, and such networks handle calls requiring special treatment on an "exception" basis. In present arrangements, the customer is not identified directly, at the beginning of the call processing process, so that customer-specific features are applied to a particular call only after a great deal of processing. The difficulty is illustrated by one example involving call processing instructions: currently, service type is first identified using a table that associates trunk group type with service type. Automatic number identification (ANI) information may be collected from the caller and sent to an ANI vs customer table, to further identify the customer. Next, the ANI and customer identification are sent to a customer vs allowed feature table, to obtain a list of authorized features. Finally, processed data obtained as a result of the foregoing table look-up is sent back to the switch that is processing the call to execute whatever call processing is appropriate. Other aspects of call treatment, such as access and egress determination and recording/billing arrangements, can be equally complex.
The problem with this approach is that the various tables just described are distributed rather than centralized. These tables have to be provisioned, i.e., stored, when a customer first obtains a service or feature, and coordinated among themselves when a customer makes a change. This is costly, complicated, time consuming and error prone. Also, there is no central record of "who has what"; this complicates customer inquiry response and maintenance of the network elements.